ISLAMABAD: Mansour, a popular Emirati cartoon created to engage young Arab audiences in their native customs, culture, and heritage, was screened in Islamabad on Thursday, with the Pakistani information minister saying the animated series would be another step in involving the people and children of Pakistan in the country’s “beautiful relationship” with the United Arab Emirates.
The show revolves around Mansour, an excitable, curious 12-year-old, who finds himself thrown into numerous adventures with his friends and family, escapades that teach both Mansour and the audience important morals and lessons along the way, including about the importance of family and community, living a healthy lifestyle and pursuing meaningful careers and life goals.
The first episode of the series — which has so far had a run of five seasons and over 100 episodes — was shown in Islamabad at a screening arranged by the UAE embassy. The episode was dubbed in Urdu.
“Obviously the relationship [between Pakistan and the UAE] goes back decades and I hope this movie, Mansour, will involve the people and children of Pakistan into this beautiful relationship,” information minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said while addressing the screening ceremony at the Sheikh Zayed International Academy in Islamabad.
Pakistani information minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain addressing screening ceremony of Emirati cartoon series "Mansour" at the Sheikh Zayed International Academy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 16, 2021. (AN Photo)
“I hope this would be a transformation of this relationship to the next generation,” Hussain said.
The information ministry said Pakistan was keen to a part of the global animated film industry which would be worth up to $340 billion by 2025.
“Even now about 20 companies in Pakistan are doing about $300 million in business here on animation,” Hussain said. “I would like to expand this as much as we can.”
Addressing the ceremony, UAE envoy to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al Zaabi said Mansour was the first Arabic language television cartoon series aimed to promote social values, empathy, tolerance and friendship in a culturally diverse modern world.
Emirati cartoon series "Mansour" is screened at the Sheikh Zayed International Academy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 16, 2021. (AN Photo)
“This cartoon series have gained attraction in communities across the globe and has been dubbed in various languages ranging from English, Arabic, Spanish and more,” Al Zaabi said. “I hope Pakistani children will enjoy the high quality content of intelligent creative thinking and inspiring stories which will make a positive impact on generations to come”.
Rashid Al Ali, the deputy head of mission at the UAE embassy Islamabad, told Aran News Mansour was created by Mubadala, a semi-government company in UAE and, while initially broadcast in Arabic, had now been dubbed in nine languages, including Urdu.
“It has received excellent response from all over the world and I believe that Pakistani children will also like this cartoon,” Al Ali said, adding that though only one episode had been shown in Islamabad so far, the embassy was working on a ‘mechanism’ to broadcast the entire series in Pakistan.
Audiences at screening of Emirati animated series "Mansour" at the Sheikh Zayed International Academy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 16, 2021. (AN Photo)
Wafaa Abdul Ghaffar, the principal of the Sheikh Zayed International Academy, said the animated series would help Pakistani children understand Emirati culture.
“As we are celebrating the UAEs golden jubilee and 50 years of a good and prosperous relationship between Pakistan and the Emirates, this is another landmark ,” she said, “that we are screening an Emirati animated film for Pakistani children.”
